The invention generally relates to an insulation displacement contact. More preferably, it relates to an insulation displacement contact for terminal strips, including a slotted, sprung contact region as a contact-making slot on a connecting bracket, wherein the contact region is surrounded and reinforced by an outer spring slip.
A known insulation displacement contact is disclosed in (DE-C1-197 32 182), for example. Further, DE 85 25 981 U1 discloses a two-part insulation displacement contact element, in which two separate contact elements having a contact-making slot are used. These surround both sides of a conductor with which contact is to be made, and pinch this conductor between them. When contact has been made, the first contact element surrounds the other, like a spring clip. The respective contact-making slots are widened like funnels in their entry region, forming an insulation displacement contact. In this embodiment, the insulation displacement contacts must be operated like tongs once the conductor has been inserted.
In the described, known insulation displacement contact, the material of the spring clip can be matched to the spring characteristics. Further, the contact region can be matched by shaping and the material coming to a compromise in order to achieve a cutting region and a contact region.
The invention is based an object of developing the described insulation displacement contact further, such that its cutting characteristics and contact characteristics can be even better matched.
The described object is achieved by an insulation displacement contact as claimed in claim 1, for example. In this case, the spring clip is designed to form an insulation displacement blade in at least one end region. This results in a cutting blade, or initial cutting blade in an initial cutting region, of mechanically particularly hard material. As such, even cold, brittle insulation on a conductor can easily be cut down to a conductive core. The shape of the contact region in the interior of the contact-making slot can also be matched to achieve particularly good contact characteristics. The contact-making slot can thus be formed with blunt contact zones in order to protect a contact core. This is due to the fact that the cutting blades which are formed from the spring clip, can be matched not only in terms of the initial cutting characteristics but also, if required, in terms of their secondary cutting characteristics.
The spring clip and cutting blades which are formed from the spring clip may be formed from suitably hard material. If required, the cutting blades may be specially hardened. The contact region may be formed from electrically highly conductive material.
The insulation displacement contact can advantageously be designed for use in a connecting terminal, in particular in a terminal strip, such that each connecting bracket forms a contact-making slot at each of its ends.
The spring clip and/or connecting bracket can advantageously be designed such that the limbs of the spring clip secure the contact-making slot in its position.
A connecting terminal having at least one insulation displacement contact can advantageously be provided according to one of the embodiments described above. In particular, a terminal strip having at least one insulation displacement contact can be provided in the embodiments described above.